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It is looking like my theories on appropriate tsuka length are too simplistic. Comfort in slicing with the bokken may not be all-important, since apparently there are schools that treat the wooden sword and the iaito or shinken as different animals. If using a bokken to simulate a live blade, it is used in a slicing or piercing fashion. This is how I have possibly always trained with it. I all-too-often forget that the bokken can and has been used in place of a shinken, when it thereby becomes used for its own properties of bashing - or even thrusting - to critical points.

BTW - The Bujin THSYR Bokken are based on a prototype carved by Takamura himself who would make them for his students. It was preserved my David Maynard, given to Toby and used for the design when Ikeda agreed to produce the bokken.

Ah, thanks, Doug. That's sort of what I remembered hearing, but I was hesitant to add any more mythology to the thread than it already has.

A bit surprised by the 14" tsuka at Bu Jin, I remembered a guy I trained with for awhile had a Bu Jin bokken (I've only had their jo), and it was plenty heavier. Maybe if a bokken is heavier than mine, like the many full-weight ken at Bujin, a longer tsuka means better control, whether one's hands are a fist-apart or not. My cherry bokken (I don't think Brazilian cherry) is lighter. A fist apart may work well with my bokken weight, but perhaps not with full-weight pieces. "Blade" length may be a factor also, but probably only how it relates with weight.

Any thoughts on this?

Drew

I think you're "overthinking" it. What is right in this area is context specific. I put together a *lot* of swords for a lot of people and while I try to understand each group's rationale (so I can best meet their needs), ultimately it comes down to saying the answer to "why?" is "because.". That's it. Nothing more. Swords vary tremendously in feel, mounting, etc. As do bokken. But bokken don't feel at all like swords to me and I wouldn't bother trying to find a bokken that feels like a sword since they're so very different. Bokken are for certain types of training (safety, cost, etc.). Shinken are for another type of training. Yes, one does illuminate the other, but they don't swap out and making generalizations about what is right or better for a sword art based on bokken dynamics and feel is really going off in a weird direction.

One more tidbit about the Bujin THSYR Bokken is that the tsuka was intentionally left long so that it can be cut to fit the individual - Big Tony to Tom Wharton.

Oh and Denver/Boulder is a relatively arid place so it is a good idea to get some kind of oil into your Bujin bokken before you go bashing away.

If you want to sand a Bujin bokken and - say - Tung oil it, that is probably just fine. This might have a slightly positive effect, no effect, or slightly negative effect on the piece. It is more work than necessary in my opinion, since dry climate or humid, my jo from there was ready to go when I received it in Florida, maybe the most humid state in the States. If I recall correctly, Bujin actually has it written on its website that training weapons are "good to go" upon delivery. From my jo order, I believe that is more than just marketing, that it is correct. Cutting a bokken to personal tsuka preference then sanding the elliptical corner is always an option, but then the base should be oiled. I don't know what Bujin uses, but Tung is one good option.